Toilet equipment

Abstract

To provide a toilet device for enabling an internal part of a toilet bowl to be imaged while reliably preventing the body of a user from being imaged.SOLUTION: A toilet device 1 includes a toilet seat 41 arranged above a toilet stool 9, an image sensor 44 provided on a back side of the toilet seat 41 for imaging an internal part of a toilet bowl 91 of the toilet stool 9, and a shield part 8 arranged so as to shield a part of a range of an angular field θ1 of the image sensor in view from the toilet bowl 91 for preventing at least a part of the body of a user seated on the toilet seat 41 from being imaged by the image sensor 44, the shield part 8 being constructed to enable a change in a range to be shielded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toilet device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet seat device provided with an image sensor. This toilet seat device photographs the inside of the toilet bowl by means of the image sensor.

[0003] In such a toilet seat device, by using an image sensor with a wide angle of view, it becomes possible to more reliably photograph the feces in the toilet bowl. On the other hand, an image sensor with a wide angle of view may photograph the user's body and there is a risk of infringing on the user's privacy.

[0004] From such a perspective, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration in which a shielding portion is provided in a range corresponding to the user's body among the angles of view of the image sensor. According to this configuration, it becomes possible to prevent the photographing of the user's body without adjusting the angle of view of the image sensor itself.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, since human physiques and sitting postures are diverse, in conventional toilet seat devices, there is a risk that the relative positions of the image sensor and the shielding portion may not be suitable for the actual user. For example, when the user is relatively small, there is a risk that their buttocks may enter largely into the toilet bowl side through the opening of the toilet seat and be located in a range not shielded by the shielding portion among the angles of view of the image sensor. In this case, the image sensor may photograph the user's body.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a toilet device that can photograph the inside of the toilet bowl while reliably preventing the photography of the user's body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a toilet device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a toilet seat positioned above the toilet bowl, an image sensor provided on the underside of the toilet seat for photographing the inside of the toilet bowl, and a shielding part positioned to shield a portion of the field of view of the image sensor from the perspective of the toilet bowl, thereby preventing at least a part of the body of a user seated on the toilet seat from being photographed by the image sensor, wherein the shielding part is configured to change the range of shielding.

[0009] This configuration allows for the appropriate adjustment of the area shielded by the shielding section according to the user's physique and seated posture, thereby reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

[0010] In a toilet device according to a second aspect of the present invention, the shielding portion is configured to change the area of ​​the shielded range between a first area and a second area smaller than the first area.

[0011] With this configuration, the more likely a user's body type or seating position is to be within the field of view of the image sensor, the larger the area shielded by the shielding part becomes, making it possible to reliably prevent the user's body from being photographed.

[0012] In a toilet device according to a third aspect of the present invention, the shielding portion has an operating member, and the area of ​​the shielded range is changed by operating the operating member.

[0013] With this configuration, the user can easily adjust the area shielded by the shielding unit to suit their physique and seated posture by operating the control unit.

[0014] Incidentally, if a complex mechanism is used to change the shielding range, there is a risk that urine splashed from the toilet bowl may enter the inside of the mechanism, making cleaning difficult, or that calcium in the urine may precipitate and solidify.

[0015] In a toilet device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the shielding portion comprises a transparent plate that is light-transmitting and is positioned within the field of view of the image sensor, and an opaque masking member that is detachably attached to the transparent plate.

[0016] This configuration allows users to select a masking component of a pre-prepared range of different sizes that best suits their physique, and then attach that component to the transparent plate. This enables the user's body to be appropriately shielded. As a result, the shielding component is easy to clean and less prone to sticking, while reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

[0017] In a toilet device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the shielding portion has guide portions indicating multiple mounting positions for the masking member.

[0018] This configuration allows for the secure attachment of masking members, selected to suit the user's physique, to appropriate positions. As a result, it becomes possible to adjust the area shielded by the shielding portion to a suitable level.

[0019] A toilet device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes a determination means for determining whether or not at least a part of the user's body is included in an image of the toilet bowl captured by an image sensor, and an output means for outputting a signal corresponding to the determination when the determination means determines that at least a part of the user's body is included in the image.

[0020] According to this configuration, when the relative position between the image sensor and the shielding part is such that at least a part of the user's body is photographed, it becomes possible to prompt the user or the like to make improvements based on the signal output by the output means. For example, based on the output signal, it is possible to notify the user or the like that it is necessary to change the position of the shielding part by voice or characters.

Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a toilet device that can reliably prevent the photographing of the user's body.

Brief Explanation of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet room in which a toilet device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the toilet device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the toilet device of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a toilet device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the toilet device of FIG. 5.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the ease of understanding of the description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components in each drawing as much as possible, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0024] [First Embodiment] First, a toilet device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet room R in which the toilet device 1 is installed, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the section II-II in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the toilet device 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the toilet device 1, and shows the toilet device 1 as seen in the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a magnified view of the area around the image sensor 44, which will be described later.

[0025] <Overall Structure> As shown in Figure 1, a toilet bowl 9 is installed on the floor surface F of the toilet room R. The toilet bowl 9 is a toilet bowl and has a toilet bowl 91 that receives the user's feces and a rim 92 that stands around the toilet bowl 91. For example, when a flushing control unit (not shown) provided in the toilet room R is operated by the user, flushing water is supplied to the toilet bowl 91, and the toilet bowl 91 is flushed and the feces are discharged from the toilet bowl 91. The flushing control unit can take various forms, such as an operating lever provided in the toilet room R or a switch provided in the operating device 7 described later.

[0026] Toilet device 1 is applied to this toilet 9. Toilet device 1 comprises a toilet seat device 2 and an operating device 7. In the following description, the area in front of the user seated on the toilet seat 41 (described later) is referred to as "front," the area behind as "rear," the left side as "left," and the right side as "right." Also, the area vertically upward is referred to as "up," and the area vertically downward as "down."

[0027] The toilet seat device 2 is mounted on top of the toilet bowl 9 and comprises a main body 3, a toilet seat 41, a nozzle 42, and a toilet lid 43. The toilet seat device 2 may be detachably mounted to the toilet bowl 9, or it may be mounted so as to be an integral part of the toilet bowl 9.

[0028] The toilet seat 41 is the element on which the user sits when defecating, and its seating surface 41c supports the user's buttocks. The toilet seat 41 is annular in shape, and an opening 41a is formed in its center. The opening 41a opens the toilet bowl 91 when the toilet seat 41 is placed on the rim 92. The rear end of the toilet seat 41 is pivotally supported, so that the toilet seat 41 can rotate between a position where it is placed on the rim 92 and a position where it is separated from the rim 92 and opens the toilet bowl 91 widely.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the toilet seat 41 has a base plate 5 and a top plate 6. Both the base plate 5 and the top plate 6 are made of resin material. The inner peripheral edge 5a of the base plate 5 and the inner peripheral edge 6a of the top plate 6 are welded together, and the outer peripheral edge 5b of the base plate 5 and the outer peripheral edge 6b of the top plate 6 are welded together, thereby joining the base plate 5 and the top plate 6 to form the toilet seat 41. The central parts of the base plate 5 and the top plate 6 are spaced apart from each other, thereby creating an air gap 41b inside the toilet seat 41. In addition to this, the toilet seat 41 can also adopt various other forms, such as one in which ribs erected on the upper surface of the base plate 5 and ribs erected on the lower surface of the top plate 6 are welded together to join them.

[0030] When the toilet seat 41 is placed on the rim 92 of the toilet bowl 9, as shown in Figure 2, the base plate 5 is positioned such that a part of it faces the rim 92 in the vertical direction, while the other part is located above the toilet bowl 91. An opening 5c ​​is provided in this other part of the base plate 5. An image sensor 44 is provided in the gap 41b of the toilet seat 41 to photograph the inside of the toilet bowl 91 through this opening 5c. The image sensor 44 can photograph objects within the field of view θ1 in a side view as shown in Figure 2. The configuration around the image sensor 44 will be described later.

[0031] The tabletop 6 is positioned so that its curved seating surface 41c faces upward. A heater 411 is attached to the underside of the tabletop 6. The heater 411 is an electric heating element that generates Joule heat when power is supplied.

[0032] The nozzle 42 shown in Figure 1 is used for cleaning the user's private parts. The nozzle 42 is configured to move in and out of the main body 3 into the toilet bowl 91 by an electric motor (not shown). When the nozzle 42 is positioned inside the toilet bowl 91, an electromagnetic valve (not shown) is opened, causing the nozzle 42 to discharge water towards the user's private parts.

[0033] The toilet lid 43 is pivotally supported at its rear end and is configured to rotate between a position that covers the toilet seat 41 and a position that leaves the toilet seat 41 open.

[0034] The operating device 7 is installed, for example, on the wall of the toilet room R. The operating device 7 has multiple switches (not shown) corresponding to multiple operations of the toilet seat device 2 (for example, starting and stopping local washing). As shown in Figure 3, the operating device 7 further has a communication unit 71 and a display unit 72. The communication unit 71 transmits and receives signals wirelessly with the communication unit 312 of the toilet seat device 2, which will be described later. The display unit 72 is a liquid crystal panel provided on the outer surface of the operating device 7 and displays various information.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, a control device 31 is located inside the main body 3 of the toilet seat device 2. The control device 31 is composed of either analog circuits or a digital processor, and has a determination unit 311 and a communication unit 312 as functional blocks. The determination unit 311 makes various determinations based on signals received by the control device 31 from the outside. The communication unit 312 transmits and receives signals to and from external devices of the toilet seat device 2.

[0036] Furthermore, the software modules incorporated into the control device 31 do not necessarily need to be divided into functional blocks as shown in Figure 3. In other words, the actual analog circuits and modules may be configured to perform the functions of multiple functional blocks as shown in Figure 3, or they may be further subdivided. The configuration of the control device 31 can be modified as appropriate by those skilled in the art, as long as it is configured to perform the processing described later.

[0037] The control device 31 is connected to the heater 411, nozzle 42, and image sensor 44 so as to be able to transmit control signals. The control device 31 can also receive image signals from the image sensor 44.

[0038] <Example of operation> When the control unit 311 determines that a user has sat on the toilet seat 41 based on a signal received by the control device 31 from a seat sensor (not shown), the control device 31 sends a control signal to the heater 411 (i.e., supplies power to the heater 411). As a result, the temperature of the top plate 6 rises due to the Joule heat generated by the heater 411, and the toilet seat 41 is heated.

[0039] Furthermore, when the user operates the switch on the operating device 7 corresponding to the start of local washing, the communication unit 71 of the operating device 7 generates a signal corresponding to this switch and transmits it wirelessly to the toilet seat device 2. The toilet seat device 2 receives this signal with the communication unit 312 of the control device 31, and the control device 31 transmits a control signal to the nozzle 42. Upon receiving the control signal, the nozzle 42 extends from the main body 3 into the toilet bowl 91 and discharges water supplied from the opened electromagnetic valve towards the user's genitals.

[0040] Furthermore, the control device 31 transmits a control signal to the image sensor 44 after or during the user's defecation, causing it to photograph the inside of the toilet bowl 91. The image sensor 44 transmits an image signal corresponding to the image of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 that it has photographed back to the control device 31. Upon receiving the image signal, the control device 31, in its determination unit 311, determines at least one of the following based on a predetermined program: the presence or absence of stool, the color, shape, and quantity of the stool. The communication unit 312 of the control device 31 generates a signal corresponding to this determination result and transmits it to an external cloud service C. Medical professionals can access this cloud service C to obtain the determination result, thereby understanding the user's health condition and providing advice based on that understanding.

[0041] <Prevention of photographing the user's body> The toilet device 1 is equipped with features to prevent the image sensor 44 from capturing images of the user's body. This point will be explained below.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, walls 51 and 52 are provided in the gap 41b of the toilet seat 41. Both walls 51 and 52 are integrally formed with the base plate 5. The walls 51 and 52 extend from their lower ends to their upper ends, approaching each other, and are connected at their upper ends. As a result, a recess 53 is formed between the walls 51 and 52, which communicates with the outside of the toilet seat 41 via an opening 5c. The image sensor 44 is placed in this recess 53 and fixed to the wall 52.

[0043] Furthermore, a shielding portion 8 is positioned between the image sensor 44 and the toilet bowl 91. The shielding portion 8 includes a holding portion 81 and a shielding plate 82.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the retaining parts 81 are provided at two spaced-apart locations on the lower surface of the base plate 5. One of the retaining parts 81 has a slit 81a that penetrates vertically and extends in the front-rear direction. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the retaining part 81 forms a groove 81b between itself and the lower surface of the base plate 5. The groove 81b extends in the front-rear direction and its front end is open.

[0045] The shielding plate 82 is made of an opaque material and has a plate shape. The shielding plate 82 is positioned within the groove 81b. As shown in Figure 4, an operating member 821 is connected to the end of the shielding plate 82. The operating member 821 is positioned within the slit 81a of the holding part 81. When a user applies force to the operating member 821 with their fingers and moves the operating member 821 in the front-rear direction within the slit 81a, the shielding plate 82 also slides in the front-rear direction within the groove 81b. This allows the user to arbitrarily change the position of the shielding plate 82 in the front-rear direction.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, guide lines 831 and 832 are provided on the lower surface of the base plate 5 at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. More specifically, guide line 832 is positioned in front of guide line 831. The shielding plate 82 is positioned so that its front end 82a coincides with one of the guide lines 831 or 832.

[0047] The shielding plate 82 is positioned so as viewed from the toilet bowl 91 (in the direction indicated by arrow A1 in Figure 2) within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44. The shielding plate 82 is positioned so as to shield a range of angle θ2, which is part of the field of view θ1. This angle θ2 is determined according to the position of the shielding plate 82 in the front-rear direction. When the front end 82a of the shielding plate 82 is positioned at the guide line 832, the angle θ2 is larger compared to when the front end 82a is positioned at the guide line 831. In other words, the area shielded by the shielding plate 82 when the front end 82a is positioned at the guide line 831 (an example of the "second area" of the present invention) is smaller than the area shielded by the shielding plate 82 when the front end 82a is positioned at the guide line 832 (an example of the "first area" of the present invention).

[0048] The shielding plate 82 blocks the range at angle θ2, preventing the image sensor 44 from capturing images in this range. On the other hand, in the range not blocked by the shielding plate 82, the image sensor 44 can capture images of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 through the opening 5c.

[0049] <Effects and Effects> This configuration allows the shielding area to be adjusted appropriately according to the user's physique and seated posture, thereby reliably preventing the user's body from being photographed.

[0050] Furthermore, the shielding section 8 is configured to allow the area of ​​the shielded range to be changed between a first area and a second area smaller than the first area.

[0051] With this configuration, the more likely a user's body type or seating posture is to be within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44, the larger the area shielded by the shielding part 8 becomes, making it possible to reliably prevent the user's body from being photographed.

[0052] Furthermore, the shielding section 8 has an operating member 821, and the area of ​​the shielded range is changed by operating the operating member 821.

[0053] With this configuration, by operating the operating member 821 according to the user's physique and seated posture, the area shielded by the shielding part 8 can be easily changed to an appropriate size.

[0054] [Second Embodiment] Next, the toilet device 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3, 5, and 6. Similar to the first embodiment, this toilet device 1A is configured to photograph the inside of the toilet bowl 91 of the toilet bowl 9 using an image sensor 44. The configuration of the shielding part 8A of the toilet device 1A differs from that of the first embodiment. For components of the toilet device 1A that are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0055] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of toilet device 1A. Figure 5 shows a cross-section of toilet device 1A corresponding to the II-II cross-section in Figure 1. To facilitate understanding of the explanation, Figure 5 exaggerates the thickness of the masking member 85, which will be described later. Figure 6 is a perspective view of toilet device 1A, showing toilet device 1A as seen in the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows a magnified view of the area around the image sensor 44.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, a shielding portion 8A is positioned between the image sensor 44 and the toilet bowl 91. The shielding portion 8A includes a transparent plate 84 and a masking member 85.

[0057] The transparent plate 84 is made of a light-transmitting material (for example, acrylic resin or glass) and has a plate shape. As shown in Figure 5, the transparent plate 84 is fitted into the opening 5c ​​of the bottom plate 5.

[0058] The masking member 85 is an opaque thin film. An adhesive layer is provided on one side 85a of the masking member 85 shown in Figure 6. Two masking members 851 and 852 of different sizes are prepared in advance as masking members 85.

[0059] As shown in Figure 6, guide lines 861 and 862 are provided on the lower surface of the base plate 5 at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. More specifically, guide line 862 is positioned in front of guide line 861. Guide lines 861 and 862 are examples of the "guide section" of the present invention.

[0060] One of the masking members 851 and 852 is selected and attached to the transparent plate 84 so as to span across it in the left-right direction by joining its adhesive layer to the bottom plate 5 and the lower surface of the transparent plate 84. When attaching the relatively small masking member 851, the worker positions the masking member 851 so that its edge 851a coincides with the guide line 861. On the other hand, when attaching the relatively large masking member 852, the worker positions the masking member 852 so that its edge 852a coincides with the guide line 862. The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer is set to such an extent that the masking members 851 and 852 can be easily attached to and detached from the transparent plate 84.

[0061] As shown in Figure 5, the transparent plate 84 to which the masking member 85 is attached is positioned so as viewed from the toilet bowl 91 (in the direction indicated by arrow A2 in Figure 5) that it is within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44. Furthermore, the masking member 85 attached to the transparent plate 84 is positioned so as to obscure a range of angle θ3, which is part of the field of view θ1. This angle θ3 is determined according to the size of the attached masking member 85. When a relatively large masking member 852 is attached to the transparent plate 84, the angle θ3 is also larger compared to when a masking member 851 is attached to the transparent plate 84.

[0062] The masking member 85 shields the area at angle θ3, preventing the image sensor 44 from capturing images in this area. On the other hand, in the area not shielded by the masking member 85, the image sensor 44 can capture images of the inside of the toilet bowl 91 through the light-transmitting transparent plate 84.

[0063] The determination unit 311 of the control device 31 shown in Figure 3 processes the image captured by the image sensor 44 and determines whether or not the user's body is included in the image. For example, the determination unit 311 uses known methods such as pattern matching to determine whether or not there are objects in the part of the image other than the toilet bowl 91, and if such objects are included, it determines that the user's body has been captured in the image.

[0064] If the determination unit 311 determines that the user's body is included in the image, the communication unit 312 wirelessly transmits a signal corresponding to this determination to the outside. In this embodiment, the communication unit 312 is an example of the "output means" of the present invention. When the operating device 7 receives this signal with the communication unit 71, it displays text information on the display unit 72 to inform the user that there is a problem with the image and that the shielding unit 8A needs to be improved. The text information may, for example, encourage the user to change the masking member 85 to a larger size or to change the user's posture.

[0065] [Effects and Effects] In the second embodiment, the shielding portion 8A includes a transparent plate 84 that is light-transmitting and is positioned within the field of view θ1 of the image sensor 44, and an opaque masking member 85 that is detachably attached to the transparent plate 84.

[0066] With this configuration, it becomes possible to select a masking member 85 of different sizes from a pre-prepared set of masking members 85 that corresponds to the user's physique, and then attach that masking member 85 to the transparent plate 84, thereby changing the area shielded by the shielding part 8A to an appropriate size. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the user's body from being photographed while making the shielding part 8A easy to clean and less likely to cause problems such as sticking.

[0067] Furthermore, the shielding portion 8A has guide lines 861 and 862 indicating multiple mounting positions for the masking member 85.

[0068] This configuration allows the masking member 85, selected to match the user's physique, to be securely attached to a suitable position. As a result, the area shielded by the shielding section 8A can be appropriately adjusted.

[0069] Furthermore, the toilet device 1A includes a determination unit 311 that determines whether or not at least a part of the user's body is included in the image of the toilet bowl 91 captured by the image sensor 44. The toilet device 1A also includes a communication unit 312 that outputs a signal corresponding to the determination when the determination unit 311 determines that at least a part of the user's body is included in the image.

[0070] With this configuration, if the relative position between the image sensor 44 and the shielding unit 8A is such that it captures at least a part of the user's body, the communication unit 312 outputs a signal that prompts the user to make improvements. Based on the output signal, the user can be notified by voice or text that the position of the shielding unit 8A needs to be changed.

[0071] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, any modifications made to the above embodiments by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the features of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1,1A...Toilet device, 311...Determination unit (determination means), 312...Communication unit (output means), 41...Toilet seat, 44...Image sensor, 5...Bottom plate, 6...Top plate, 8,8A...Shielding part, 821...Operating member, 84...Transparent plate, 85...Masking member, 861,862...Guide line (guide part), 9...Toilet bowl, 91...Toilet bowl, 92...Rim

Claims

1. The toilet seat is positioned above the toilet bowl, An image sensor is provided on the underside of the toilet seat and takes pictures of the inside of the toilet bowl. The toilet bowl is equipped with a shielding portion that is positioned to shield a portion of the field of view of the image sensor as seen from the toilet bowl, The toilet device is characterized in that the shielding portion has a shielding plate whose relative position to the toilet seat can be adjusted to change the range of the field of view of the image sensor.

2. The toilet device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shielding portion is configured to change the area of ​​the shielded range between a first area and a second area smaller than the first area.

3. The toilet device according to claim 2, wherein the shielding portion has an operating member, and the area of ​​the shielded range is changed by operating the operating member.

4. A toilet seat positioned above the toilet bowl, An image sensor is provided on the underside of the toilet seat to photograph the inside of the toilet bowl, The toilet bowl is equipped with a shielding portion that is positioned to shield a portion of the field of view of the image sensor as seen from the toilet bowl, The shielding portion has an opaque masking member, The toilet device is characterized in that the masking member is configured to change the range over which the field of view of the image sensor is obscured by changing its mounting position.

5. The toilet device according to claim 4, characterized in that the shielding portion has guide portions indicating multiple mounting positions for the masking member.

6. A determination means for determining whether or not at least a part of the user's body is included in the image of the toilet bowl captured by the image sensor, The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: an output means that outputs a signal corresponding to the determination when the determination means determines that the image includes at least a part of the user's body.

Images